Out of the Blue
by Carleen
Summary: A HALO/Mass Effect crossover story. At its heart a rescue mission for Cortana. In general a story of Master Chief & Capt. Lasky entering the Mass Effect Universe. Time frame reference: Post HALO 4 & pre-Mass Effect 3, Battle for Earth. Although, the events of ME3 are in the background of the story. We will not be rehashing the plot of either game. July 1: Chapter 1 revision up.


TITLE: Out of the Blue

CHAPTER: 1

LOCATION: Earth

RANDOM: HALO 4 / Mass Effect

CO-AUTHOR: DevineWhisper16

AN: Revised Chapter July 1. All descriptions of HALO and Mass Effect weaponry, armor, characters, locations and aliens belong to Microsoft, Bungie, 343 Industries, and Bioware are used here without permission, for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

_This sailor has stood the watch_

_While some of us were in our bunks at night,_

_This sailor stood the watch_

* * *

How is it possible that he is still alive? He is certain the HAVOK warhead detonated. By fragmenting herself even further, Cortana bought him enough time to retrieve the device and activate the sequence. That his action would certainly kill them both was, in favor of the mission goal, ignored. Pushed into that black hole of Spartan indoctrination where emotions and personal desires are sent to die.

In the time it took to acknowledge that thought he made a decision. Between the heartbeats of his left hand securing the warhead and his right hand activating the detonation sequence, he knew he'd rather die than watch Cortana slowly degrade into death. Captain Del Rio's thoughtless words 'aging Spartan' and 'malfunctioning AI', echoed. He will follow Cortana into whatever oblivion awaits.

Apparently, that was not to be. Buffeted by a maelstrom of sound and colors he couldn't process or properly identify. The Spartan soldier, Master Chief Sierra-117 carefully pushed himself to his feet. The colors settled into an oddly familiar shade of blue as he climbed to his feet. Shaking his head to clear it and assessing his condition are automatic responses no matter what the situation. Shields down to 20%, armor integrity borderline, he filled his lungs with air only to discover fractured ribs. The results of that breath yielded searing pain and a choking cough. When he tried to clear his throat, he sprayed the inside of his visor with bloody phlegm. His left shoulder reported possible torn ligaments.

He acknowledged it and pushed it aside. The pain is inconsequential. The broken ribs silenced by medical foam. The _Mjölnir_ armor would support his shoulder. The inside of his helmet? That would have to wait. The mission could not.

"Cortana, do you read? Cortana, come in."

A small spark of fear ignited in the heart of a man who did not know fear believe in failure or a no-win scenario. Then his HUD and peripheral vision reported movement behind him. He turned toward it and for once in his life did not reach for his weapon. It's Cortana is walking toward him. He knows it, and his heart acknowledges as she smiles and looks at him from under her lashes. She's alive.

His mind reached for conclusions. Is it possible she is wrong about the rampancy?

"How...?"

"Oh, I'm the strangest thing you've seen all day?" She responded with a shy smile.

He almost shook his head and replied, No, you are the most beautiful thing I've seen all day. As strange as the fact that he is still alive is the sight of Cortana walking toward him the size of a normal person. Not just a person, but a beautiful woman with a shapely form and provocative walk. Is this for him? He banished the thought quickly. Only to discover that black hole is closed to him just now.

Perhaps she will not degrade? "But if we're here?"

"It worked. You did it. Just like you always do."

"So, how do we get out of here?" Excellent, he thinks. Mission accomplished, and they will both survive to fight another day.

"Don't worry. But I'm not coming with you... not this time."

What was she saying? He must get her home. "No!" He raised his voice to negate the silver-blue tears in her eyes. "That's not... we go together. I promised to get you to Halsey."

"I'm sorry, but it's already done."

The sorrow in her voice cautions him about his assumptions. It began to dawn on him this is a battle he can't win and a promise he can't keep. Those spiraling thoughts are interrupted by her hand on his armor. He watched in wonder as her fingers spread across the dented plating. His heart leaps under her hand.

Forbidden thoughts swirl his thought process. Thoughts which he knows could compromise the mission. Except in moments of violence, he's never held anything in his arms. The desire to hold out his arms for her is almost overwhelming. Instead, he allows himself a moment to leave the mission aside and do something strictly against the rules. The rules? He wrote the goddamn rules as he went along. How else had he survived? The Master Chief slowly and deliberately removed his right gauntlet.

"John... I've waited so long to do this."

"It's not the first time though is it?" Laying his bare hand over hers. "I dreamt about you. About us.. Cortana was that your doing?"

"Must have been my rampancy," she admitted with another shy smile

"Cortana?"

"It was a long time before you reactivated me... I wasn't sure...if."

"It was a gift and a beautiful dream. I can't let you go. I won't. It's my job to take care of you."

"We took care of each other," Cortana reminded him, carefully replacing his gauntlet.

It's not lost on him she is speaking in the past tense now. "Cortana, I'm not the kind of man who knows the right words."

"Then you have figured out which one of us is the machine. I'm glad."

He is the Master Chief. He can do anything he sets his mind to and bend any situation to his will. He's a a successful soldier and a survivor. He is also the last of his kind. He imagines following her again. But he is too well trained and instead of walking toward her, he raises his hands in supplication. Duty calls and never, not once in his life, has he ignored it.

"Please... ?"

Master Chief actually turned his face away from her as if to hide his emotions. When could he ever hide anything from her? So with a finality that hurts far worse than his ribs or his shoulder, he acknowledged that she has found the solution. It's always worked before. But what of the consequences?

Their moment is passing, and he must face it. He can't imagine what this is costing her, as weak as she is, to maintain this environment for him. Then he realized he knows exactly what it's costing her.

"I'll never forget you, Cortana."

"Thank you. That's just what a girl likes to hear. John, you have to let go of me now," she says softly, tugging her hand from his.

"You are the best part of me. I won't let them give me another Cortana line AI."

She smiled again and began to back away.

He will stop her. This situation will bend to his will. Just a few more minutes and they will figure to do what to do. "Wait."

"Welcome home... John."

The artificial world around him began to change and degrade. His guardian angel is gone and a grief almost forgotten since teaming up with her resurfaced. It's the pain of losing his fellow Spartans to the battlefield. How many more generations will they feed into this death machine? Truly alone now, he straightened to honor those memories. Then all light and sound fade to the icy black of Space as Cortana saved his life one last time.

In less than three minutes his air will run out. Approximately one hour ago his left lung collapsed. Even a Spartan needed blood to circulate and nourish organs. His heart thundered in his ears as it tried to do its job. But most of his blood was efficiently pooling in his chest. His thoughts began to wander.

Doctor Halsey wanted everyone to believe her Spartans never died. The death count a closely held secret. But he knew. He knew the name of each fallen Spartan. One night, when they were children, they sneaked a book about the Greek Spartans into their sleeping area. Under the cover of night, John read out loud to them about the history of the first Spartans. They hung on his every word and afterward they'd each taken a name from one of the famous kings and soldiers. They'd insisted he take the name Leonidas. Many years later as he drifted in space, waiting for the end, he thought about his fellow Spartans and the vow they'd made to each other; 'With this, or upon this.'

It didn't matter what Doctor Halsey claimed, he knew exactly who would greet him as he relaxed into the arms of death. They would welcome him home, and Cortana would be waiting for him. Master Chief took a last good breath and let himself go.

So it was no small annoyance when a recon Pelican from Infinity located him floating amidst the flotsam of Requiem. The crew were gentle and respectful, when all he wanted to do was be left alone. He couldn't stop the medic who carefully patched him up, stabilized his vital signs and made arrangements for the removal of the armor and a trip to the med bay. By the time, Infinity recovered the Pelican he's back on his feet.

The cavernous landing bay echoed back to him the sound of a hundred sailors and marines as they step smartly to attention and salute him as he passed. He managed to skip both med bay and the armory and just kept walking. A group of Spartan IV's stares openly as he passed. Protocol demanded he acknowledge the Commander staring at him so intently. For him to avoid this basic military courtesy is an indication of how far he is from the world around him. He is alive only by the fact his lungs stubbornly fill with air and his heart keeps beating.

Searching for a quiet corner he found one and stared out the view screen. Grief surrounded him like a shroud and soaked into his armor. In a few minutes or a few hours the deck shudders under his feet. By the sound of Infinity's _Mark X Macedon/Z-PROTOTYPE engines_, he can tell the order was given to drop back to normal Space. Suddenly the earth drops into view and almost fills the view screen. It's irrefutable now. He left her behind. And you never leave a ship mate behind. Ever.

The captain joined him for a moment and tried to thank him and be sympathetic. Master Chief is dimly aware of what the captain is saying. But they just don't know and can never understand. A Spartan must stay apart. A Spartan must stand alone. But a Spartan had a heart and he'd given his to Cortana, UNSC Artificial Intelligence Serial Number: CTN 0452-9. COM out. COM dead.

Captain Lasky is still talking to him, but grief consumed his thoughts and there is no coherent reply.

Finally, Captain Lasky says quietly, "I'll let you have the deck to yourself."

Almost as an afterthought, Master Chief responded to something the captain said, "She said that to me once, about not being a machine."

Captain Lasky stopped and walked back to the view screen. Considering the Master Chief's words, he replied, "And what did that mean to you?"

When the Spartan didn't answer, the captain continued. "I'm aware you haven't been to the med bay. You haven't eaten in three days. Your left lung is collapsed, and you're bleeding internally. Ignoring your wounds until they kill you is not the behavior of a machine or a Spartan."

"Out there... I was ready to die."

"Do you think that's what she wanted for you, John?"

Finally, the Spartan shook his head.

"Master Chief, I'm needed in the infirmary. Will you walk with me? First, let's get that armor removed."

Master Chief followed the captain because it was easier to follow orders than to deal with what is inside his head. Easier to fall into the habits of a solider by stuffing personal desires and needs down that black hole. When muscles in his jaw begin to ache with the effort of control. The familiar mask of physical mastery and emotional restraint slip back into place. He doesn't fight it. It's easier this way.

The captain stayed with him in med bay while they treated his injuries. He'd also stayed long enough to make sure the Spartan finished a tray of food.

Two hours later the solitary Spartan dressed in UNSC Infinity fatigues, headed toward the briefing area. Then a young man in uniform trotted up behind him, holding something out in his palm.

"Master Chief? Excuse me. We found this wedged in your armor. Not sure what it is... I mean, they scanned it. But I thought you might want to keep it."

"Thank you," accepting the piece of oddly familiar blue material from the petty officer. The Spartan noticed the man's youth. So damn young. Without the familiar weight of his armor, the emotions rise unbidden, he was vulnerable and tired. Did he have that fire in his eyes once?

"I'm truly sorry for your loss. Is there anything else?" he stuttered just a bit as he tried to maintain eye contact with the legend.

"No. But, thanks for this. Carry on."

"No problem, Master Chief."

Turning away from the earnest face of the young man, he started to walk away, then stopped. "If you've got a minute… Been a while. Maybe you could take me to the briefing area?"

He is rewarded with a grin and an enthusiastic, "Right this way, Master Chief!"

The briefing, like all the briefings in his thirty years of service, goes on too long. They ask too many questions for which he has no answers. If only Cortana were here. She would field these questions for him and charm the room with her wit. Someday he'll come to terms with losing her. But at this moment the pain is still fresh, and the mask is slipping. He wished for the quiet darkness of Space or at least his armor so he could hide the pain creasing his face.

While the senior leaders drone on about the mission, Master Chief removed the piece of blue material from his pocket. The petty officer said they'd found it in his armor. How did it get there? So many strange things happened that day, he couldn't think of a moment when it might not have happened. Shrapnel? It could even be a piece of ordnance.

Cortana! He thought as a fresh wave of loss swept across his heart. Crushing his hand into a fist to fight off the emotions, the piece of material begins to warm. What has he done? Activated a weapon? Released a toxin?

He interrupted the briefing, explaining he needs to get to the HAZMAT labs. He doesn't wait for their permission and hurried out of the room.

"Master Chief, is something wrong?" Captain Lasky asked following him into the corridor.

"I am on my way to the HAZMAT lab to turn this in, sir."

"I'll go with you." The captain indicates to the chief to lead the way. As they head down the hallway, the Captain asked for details.

"The personnel who manage the Spartan armory found it stuck between the plates of my chest piece."

The memory of Cortana placing her hand on his chest surfaced. She told him she'd waited such a long time to touch him. Attempting to push the memory away, he tried to focus on the piece. It began to vibrate. They exchange a look and increased their pace.

By the time they enter the main office, the piece is glowing. However, when Master Chief placed it inside the protective container offered by the lab tech the piece settled down and returned to its original inert state.

"Well that's the damnedest thing," Captain Lasky commented watching closely, alert for the possibility of any threat to safety or security.

"Master Chief, pick it back up. Let's see what happens."

As soon as it touched the skin of his hand, the device began to heat up. A few seconds more and it began to vibrate.

"Until we can examine it under safe conditions, we don't know what this thing is capable of. You'd better put it back, Master Chief."

"No."

Concentrating on the thing in his hand, he doesn't sense danger. Instead, he sensed urgency. The room faded away as he focused his concentration. Flashes of memory ignite fires inside his head… a shy smile… words to a song... Because you're lucky… the strangest thing you've seen all day? The feel of her body entrusted into his hands... She's a woman… How? The most beautiful thing he's seen all day… welcome home…

It's not her voice, but the swirling cool blue of her familiar presence. A familiar chill pours over his brain. As strong as if he'd inserted her chip into his neural implant. He reached out for her.

"Cortana!" His instincts shift unconsciously into high alert. If this really is the Cortana, she seemed frightened or agitated.

A hand on his arm brought him back.

"Chief, she's gone. Remember? Who are you talking to?"

"Captain Lasky, will you come with me please?"

"Of course. But…"

"Let's go."

Hurrying to match Master Chief's stride, the captain's alarm bells were going off. Had the big guy finally cracked? Combat fatigue and PTSD were serious concerns for all soldiers. Plenty of good people under his command had gone off the deep end just like this. The world they lived in was a violent and dangerous place.

"Chief, stop. Let's talk about this."

"No sir. I have to get to her."

"Master Chief, I order you to stop."

The Spartan stopped so quickly, Captain Lasky almost ran into him. Looking up at him like this, his expression full of purpose and intense concentration he understands why this man was so successful. Equal parts of charisma and strength made him a formidable adversary. The officer was suddenly extremely glad this man was on their side.

"With respect, sir. I have every reason to believe Cortana planted this device on me before she died. It's a communication device of some kind. I think she's calling me. She needs me, and I'm going to her. Sir, if she's been gathering information since I left her…?"

"Master Chief, just a minute. That's a pretty big leap of faith. You don't even know where she is. The last time you saw her she was fragmented and fading. Where would you start?"

On the verge of becoming irrational, Master Chief reined himself in and began again. What is wrong with him? "Perhaps, if we consulted one of the scientists aboard, sir?"

Lasky shook his head, "No, Palmer always says they get tingly. Amusing, yes. But it's an apt description. Let's consult Roland and see what he has to say."

Master Chief followed the Lasky into his day cabin. After closing the door, he summoned Roland, the ship's A.I.

"Yes sir." Roland answered solidifying on his pedestal. Welcome aboard Infinity, Master Chief. It's an honor to meet you. Very sorry to hear about..."

Captain Lasky cut him off, "I have something for you to examine, Roland. The armory found it stuck in his armor. So we can be fairly certain it's from Requiem. Master Chief picked up some emanations from it. While in his possession it began to glow and vibrate. "

Roland rested his chin in his hand, assuming an air of philosophical thoughtfulness. It fooled no one.

"Master Chief, I'm receiving very strange vital signs from you. Did they mention anything in the Infirmary?"

"No. But I am aware," Master Chief glanced at the Captain, "of a growing emotional imbalance."

"I read in your mission brief the Librarian did something to you to protect you from the Composer," Captain Lasky responded concern in his voice.

Roland threw up his virtual hands. "That's it! Your Catalytic Thyroid Implant was removed or destroyed.

"What about the piece of blue stone?"

"Captain Lasky, this is definitely a piece of hard light. This is highly classified. Wait... Standby. There is data here. I recognize the signature...no one has algorithms like Cortana. So symmetrical... so..."

"Roland. If you please?"

"Yes, of course. Data coming up. Confirmed. Definitely Cortana, UNSC Artificial Intelligence Serial Number: CTN 0452-9. Coordinates."

"That's all I require. Captain Lasky, with your permission, I will mount a rescue mission for Cortana."

"Wait! You can't just walk out of here by yourself. Roland, dismissed."

"Aye, sir."

"Master Chief, you are emotionally compromised. I can't allow you to...

"I know." Master Chief waited expectantly. "Sir, now that I understand why these feelings are surfacing. I can better handle their intrusion. I wouldn't ask you to..."

Captain Lasky reached for the Spartan's forearms and gripped them hard. "John, two hours ago you were ready to die out there. In fact, you took an active role in making sure it happened. Now you expect me to just allow you to run off... Damn it, John. I've got my career to think of."

"Yes, sir."

"The Infinity is in dry dock for repairs. That means down-time. So, he carded his fingers through his dark hair. "Can you get that wide-eyed third class to help you with the armor?"

"That won't be a problem, sir."

"For God's sake, stop calling me sir. My name is Thomas. How much time do you need?"

"Shouldn't take more than an hour."

"I'll signal you when I'm ready and let you know where to meet me."

Master Chief stuck out his hand, and the Captain took it. "Thank you, Thomas."

"Just be right about this, okay?"

* * *

HAZMAT: Hazardous Materials

Third Class: Shortening or nickname for Navy NCO Ranks. Petty Officer 3rd, 2nd 1st Class. Petty Officer 3rd class is an E-4, and for comparison, Master Chief is the highest NCO rank E-9.

As Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Sierra 117 is the highest ranking E-9.

This ancient Greek sentence means "Either this or upon this", i.e."Either with this or upon this" as well as "Either bring the shield back or be brought home dead upon the shield", as a Spartan mother wished her son to return from war either with his shield or on it, since if a soldier returned home alive without his shield, it meant that he had lost it while running for his life and then he had been a coward.


End file.
